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Control

Control is the story of Joy Division’s frontman Ian Curtis. A troubled, tortured soul who was overwhelmed by all that life threw at him. The film, shot in black and white, charts the beginnings of his career as he meets the other band members, through to the dizzying heights of celebrity.

Curtis(Played here by Sam Riley) tries to juggle his growing fame with his home life and his debilitating epilepsy. With the demands of a wife(Samantha Morton) and child at home, he is torn between them and his exciting mistress Annik. Bouncing from each with promises of commitment, it’s obvious that he loves them both.Being diagnosed with epilepsy, he must also experiment with new medicines to keep it under control. Ultimately, that’s what this film is about; A young man trying to maintain his life, while things spiral out of his grasp. In one scene his helplesness is demonstrated perfectly as he sings ‘Isolation’. Surrounded by his friends, no-one hears him as he’s in a sound-proof recording booth. It sums up Curtis plight succinctly.

For fans of Joy Division or anyone familiar with Curtis’ name, the conclusion to this film is foregone. Unable to cope, he took his own life. The hard thing to believe after watching this film is that when he died he was only twenty three(It states it with titles). So much has happened to him in such a short time, that the audience can understand how stressed he was. The shock revelation owes a lot to the pacing of the movie; It seems like more time has passed than in reality.

The casting for Curtis was spot-on. Sam Riley(who could win a Pete Doherty look-a-like contest) easily convinces us that Curtis is young without youth. The supporting cast hold their own against such a
stand-out performance. Samantha Morton gains our sympathy as the left-at-home wife raising their baby. Enough so that her demands on Curtis are not
seen as unreasonable.

The black and white, shadowy shoot draws us down into Curtis’ depression, familiarising us with the black clouds hanging over him.

I wouldn’t say this is everybody’s cup of tea, but fans of the band and those who just like an emotional biopic should certainly check this out.

Rating: 9/10

A great story of how life can get the better of us.

As was well publicised late last month, Heath Ledger died of an overdose of prescription drugs.
He was found Unconscious in his home on the 22nd of January, but the emergency crews were unable to revive him.

This young actor gave us some memorable movie performances such as his role of Sonny Grotowski in Monster’s Ball
and Ennis del Mar in Brokeback Mountain( A role which earned him an Oscar nomination at the age of 25).
An actor unafraid to tackle movies that would court controversy and avoided the mainstream expectations.

This year we will see him play the biggest arch-villain in story telling history; The Joker. ‘The Dark Knight’ will
surely canonise Heath Ledger’s name amongst the comic book fraternity. The role has thus far been played to comic effect by
Jack Nicholson(1989) and Cesar Romero(1966), but Ledger’s joker promises to be a far edgier, unpredictable and
dangerous villain. Closer akin to Alan Moore’s character in ‘the killing joke’. Again, showing Heath Ledger’s
determination to buck the trend.

Another upcoming film set to star Heath Ledger was Terry Gilliam’s ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’.
Production on that film has ceased, but Gilliam promises to complete it(possibly with CGI) and dedicate the
film to him.

Heath Ledger 1979 – 2008

Once in a while you get a movie that just knocks you for six and this is one of them. Directed by Paul Anderson (The good Paul Anderson not the guy who brought us the Resident Evil trilogy) and based loosely on the book OIL! by Upton Sinclair this film is a 100% solid gold masterpiece.

The film is a sort of biography of an early 20Th Century oil baron Daniel Plainview played by Mr I Couldn’t Act Bad if I tried, Daniel Day Lewis. It starts with him as a diamond miner who strikes it big and then starts up a modest mining operation then he soon discovers oil in a diamond mine and begins life as an oil prospector. Along the way one his workers dies and said workers infant son becomes Daniel’s adopted son and business partner. This then results with Daniel and his son making a deal to drill in a small American Church led by a fanatical church preacher Eli Sunday (Paul Dano). The film then follows the fortunes, relationships that build and then decay like the oil wells he drills in the small town.

This is a slow burner of a movie with long scenes of Little dialogue with the incredible soundtrack and most importantly of all Lewis’ master full portrayal of a deeply flawed but human man. This is without doubt one the finest acting performances ever captured not just this year, decade but probably in the whole history of film making. Daniel Day Lewis pulls it off big style the two most noticeable scenes being his forced ‘conversion’ to the church of his friend/rival Eli Sunday and the deliciously nasty role reversal of that situation played out in the final scene. The supporting cast are on form but totally overshadowed here which is a shame as Paul Dano would have made a name for himself but not for the stature of the leading man.

The filming is breathtaking with small town America being captured beautifully and a great feeling of authenticity with all the oil drilling scenes also capturing the harsh nature of working during those times and the great dangers involved.

Don’t miss this movie a story of power , greed , money , oil , religion basically a story involving all of the failings of the human condition.

Zulu Rating : 9/10 Excellent, one to see before you die.

Alpha Dog.

After a bad week of movies(See my Jumper and Run Fat Boy Run reviews),
It’s great to find a film that reminds me why we love movies so much.

Alpha Dog is an ensemble piece, stitched together in the structure of a Documentary. A story about free-spirited and somewhat spoilt rich kids who like to play gangster.
Johnny Truelove (Emile Hersch) deals drugs from his home, having wild parties and pretty much doing whatever he feels.
In a drug deal gone bad, he’s owed money by the edgy Jake (Ben Foster, 30 Days of Night). Inspired by his gangster
idols, Johnny pulls a gun on Jake, starting the feud which will drive the film. This is escalated further when Johnny
and his friends kidnap Jake’s brother Zack and hold him for ransom.

Zack’s a nice kid and fits in with Johnny’s friends, especially Frankie (Justin Timberlake). Frankie takes him to all the
parties where Zack becomes the Notorious ‘Stolen guy’. He even loses his virginity to two beautiful babes in a pool.
Johnny doesn’t know what to do with Zack when the police become involved, even semi-joking that they should kill him. After all, they don’t want to go to jail. Johnny calls Jake and tries to negotiate, but finds nothing but furious threats and
vitriol.
In a world full of parties, sex and drugs a big dose of reality is too hard to handle for them. It surprises to learn tha this is based on a true story about the youngest
man to appear on the FBI most wanted list; Jesse James Hollywood.

*Spoilers ahead*.
Even though the audience know what’s coming in the final sequence, it still hits like a sucker punch. In the emotionally charged denouement, I dare you not to gasp, “No Way”.

Brilliant acting from top to bottom; from Bruce Willis and Harry Dean Stanton down to Timberlake himself. The standout performance goes to
Ben Foster as the murderous, unhinged Jake. You can’t take your eyes off the screen when he rants, raves and screams. Watch out for the fight
scene where he KO’s all six opponents.

Rating 9 (Nah, Fuck it) 10/10

Starting like ‘Dazed and Confused’ and winding up like ‘A Perfect World’ via ‘Rules of Attraction’.

Sometimes you have such high expecations for a movie that it can
never possibly hope to live up to them. This makes the movie’s shortcomings forgiveable.
Unfortunately, my expectations weren’t very high for this film and it still came up short.

Jumper is a great concept on paper. A guy, through some unexplainable genetic mutation, is able
to teleport anywhere in the world. There are rules though; He has to have been to that place before.
David Rice(Hayden Christiansen) is one such Jumper. Living the life of Riley – Robbing banks when he needs money,
Going to Egypt when he needs a tan etc – He gets a nasty shock when silver haired Roland (Samuel L Jackson) turns up trying
to kill him. This is when the movie turns into a long chase narrative. Roland pulling gadgets out of a bag that stop Rice from
jumping or let him follow him through the worm hole. One good plot twist comes in Jamie Bell’s character; A charismatic Jumper
who gets his kicks from killing Roland’s pals; The Paladins.

You’re David Goyer.You’ve written your flawless Sci-fi story. Checked that you’re bases are covered. Good.
Time to shoe-horn in a Love story. Rachel Bilson plays Millie; a two dimensional cut out of a character who doesn’t add anything to the story.
Worse still is Rice’s mother(Diane Lane) who makes it into all of two scenes. Lane is a credible actress and is unbelievably under used.
It would have been a more interesting movie, if his quest was to find his mother from the beginning and give Lane more screen time.
The acting is atrocious – Christiansen does some crazed eye acting, coming across like eagle-eyed action man.
Jackson phones his performance in. Leaving Bell to take the movie on his shoulders. He was convincing as the dark sardonic Griffin,
Lending some reality to the story.

It’s a hard movie to associate with as the protagonist displays no human side to his character. He’s simply out for himself.
Even after his Dad kicks his bucket(Or does he? We don’t know for sure) He doesn’t display much emotion.
The script wasn’t good enough in the first place, but the actors don’t even try to salvage it.

Rating 5/10

The sci-fi concept is great, but poorly executed.

There is nothing like a good documentary that informs you and makes you think about the issues it raises, this is not a good documentary to be frank to say it is shit would be too much praise. This is a ‘documentary’ made by a bunch of guys who think that googling information on 9/11 then extracting facts to fit their agenda and at time down right lies can somehow compete against EVERY single fucking expert in the world that disagrees with them.

The idea behind this piece ( of whatever excrement you prefer ) is that the US government was behind the dreadful events of September 11th 2001. And to achieve this point they display their ‘facts’ on screen backed by thumping techno music. Any sane individual with a shred of common sense will see through the ‘facts’ for the distortions they are. The only plus side to the viewing experience is that it is a slick and well edited piece with decent production values for a ‘documentary’

Thankfully this is a public domain movie and you don’t have to pay to watch otherwise you would feel as if you had been robbed, beaten and stabbed several times. The main reason the tone of this review is somewhat more negative than usual is simple THESE GUYS ARE PISSING ON PEOPLES GRAVES. To take a tragedy of this nature and to twist it round to your own paranoid agenda is sick, really fucking sick and before anyone comments saying ‘you just believe whatever the government(s) tell you’ that is not true, i believe what evidence says and the evidence does not support you.

I will provide the link for this steaming pile of shit and i will also provide the link for Screw Loose Change with rebuffs every lie, distortion and manipulation in loose change. But in summing up cool production values aside this is not a documentary , just disrespectful , dishonest film making.

Zulu Rating : 1/10 A Steaming , maggot infested turd that was left out in the sun way too long

Watch loose change here.

One you are done throwing up in disgust watch Screw Loose Change here.

Run fat boy run

David Schwimmer makes his movie directorial debut with this heart-warming comedy about going the distance.
He calls on comedy heavyweights from both sides of the pond; Hank Azaria and Simon Pegg.
Potentially a comedy goldmine waiting to be tapped.

Pegg plays Dennis, who we first witness jilting his pregnant fiancee Libby (Thandie Newton) on their wedding day and running off
down the street. Skip forward five years and we find him working as a security guard, chasing a transvestite
shop-lifter. Life hasn’t exactly worked out. He still sees his ex when he visits their son and it’s obvious
that he regrets having dumped her. Problem is, she’s moved on. Enter Hank Azaria as the self righteous, self loving
new man in her life, Whit. He’s better looking than Dennis more successful than Dennis, even has a longer penis than Dennis.
Jealousy writhes through our Gut-laden hero. So much so that he decides to enter the London Marathon to prove to Libby that he
can finish something he starts. Cue the Montage. He struggles at first, gets better etc…(Seen it before).
Libby tells him that even if he does complete the race, she won’t take him back. By now he’s doing it for a different reason,
his best friend(Dylan Moran) bet all his money on him to finish.

*Plot spoiler warning*
This film isn’t funny.
They waste the antagonist ‘Whit’ by making him too sympathetic. He should be taunting and winding Dennis up every step of the way,
Not being friendly and doe-eyed. We only witness his nasty side in the final scenes. It leaves the audience wondering who to side with;
the guy who buys Libby expensive gifts and treats her with respect or the guy who left her on the wedding day holding the baby.
The only funny bits in this film happen when Dylan Moran or Harish Patel are on screen as Dennis’ trainers. They manage to out-perform the
leads so much that you’re left anxious for them to return.
Pegg overplays the unfit man. Out of breath almost every time we see him. Certainly not up to his previous standards in ‘Hot Fuzz’ and the
immaculate ‘Shaun of the Dead’. They shoe-horn some cameos in too, trying to excavate some much-needed laughs.Even stooping as low as shoving
David Walliams in doing a variation on his ‘Pirate Memory game’ character from Little Britain.

To it’s credit the final scenes are uplifting. Dennis was never going to win the race, but it’s a film about completing what you started. Be it in
a race or in a relationship. It’s a tried and tested story that appeals to most. Though, ‘Rocky’ did it better.

Overall, I wouldn’t bother with this one. If you like the actors in it, watch one of their other films; ‘Shaun of the dead’ or ‘Mystery men’.

Rating 5/10

David Schwimmer’s movie career starts with a Stumble fat boy fall.

It’s a testament to the quality of a movie when you feel the need to
research it further after viewing. This is true for ‘in the name of the father’
the oscar winning true story of the guildford four. Released in 1993, the film is based on the autobiography
by Gerry Conlon: The narrator and overall focus of the movie.

The Guildford four were falsely convicted of being IRA terrorists and blowing up a pub in the Guildford area of London in 1974
Their only crime, it would seem, was being in the wrong place at the wrong time and speaking Irish.
Daniel Day-Lewis(Another barn-storming performance, as you would expect) plays Gerry Conlon who’s
confession was beaten out of him by the heavy handed London Police force. They eventually get him
to sign by threatening to kill his father(Pete Postlethwaithe). Ironically his father and six others are charged too for
aiding the four by making the bombs.

The film has particular resonance in to-days society as it makes a statement about terrorism laws.
The police, in those days,were allowed to hold suspected terrorists for up to seven days without charge.
The emotionally charged, scared and fickle public were baying for blood after the attack, which led to the
swift sentence. Inconsequential things like evidence brushed beneath the carpet. It doesn’t bare thinking about
when the new laws give police ninety days to question terrorists in great Britain and even longer in the US.

At one point Gerry and his father meet up with the real bomber in prison. He tells them that he confessed to
the bombings, but the police refused to acknowledge it. The film frustrates you, as you know that whatever
happens, the four are stuck in jail. It’s a tale of faith moreover as Gerry loses his and decides that if they
call him a criminal, he should become one. Joining up with the real Guildford bomber, they start to throw their
weight around the prison. It’s through this journey that Gerry realises that he’s not like these people and re-focuses
his energies on his appeal.

Emma Thompson plays the lawyer who stumbles on the hidden evidence and pursues the Conlon’s release.
Unfortunately, Gerry’s dad dies before his day in court. In arguably the most emotional scene in the film,
the other prisoners honour him by dropping burning paper from their cell windows.

In 1989 the four had there convictions overturned and were subsequently released after fifteen years in prison.

This is definitely one of those films you should see before you die.

Rating 9/10

A poignant reminder of what can happen when you live in a climate of fear.

Reign Over Me

Adam Sandler’s latest movie, but don’t worry, this is no ‘Chuck and Larry’.

Sandler plays 9/11 widower Charlie Fineman, who’s life hit a brick wall when his family died in the two towers tragedy.
He is a post traumatic stress sufferer who denies that he ever had a family. Regressing into a delinquent man-child
who fills his days with X-box and mel Brooks movie marathons. He has found a jaded type of equilibrium with this existence
until he bumps into his old college room mate Alan Johnson(Don Cheadle). Johnson is looking for an escape from his married
life in which he feels like he is losing his masculinity to his wife and daughters. He finds excuses for spending more and more
time with Charlie.

Things seem fine until Johnson scrapes beneath Charlie’s surface and finds an explosive anger and mountain of rage.
The middle act plays out with Johnson trying to get his friend psychiatric help. Attempts which are quickly rebuffed.
He even organises a chance meeting with a shrink in a record store.

As Johnson pushes Charlie towards the help he needs, he realises how lucky he is in his own life; Having a family around him who care.
The plot culminates in a court case deciding whether to take Charlie into care after a failed suicide attempt.
The film isn’t all doom and gloom though. It has a streak of wit running through it, even if it is emotionally weighty.
The only criticism would be the length of the film. It drains as much emotion out of the audience as possible which could leave
some viewers tired. The ending is a little too neat as well, with Johnson setting Charlie up with a woman almost identical to
his dead wife.

It’s worth seeing for Sandler’s performance alone. At moments you forget that it’s him. Easily his best performance since ‘Punch drunk Love’,
proving that he’s not a one trick pony. Showing that, like Jim Carrey, he can play the straight man just as well as the funny.

Rating: 7/10.

An emotional journey, not for the weak of heart.

Kev

The first in a trilogy based on a series of books of the same name this is the movie that outdid Lord of The Rings at the Russian box office and is regarded as the first Russian blockbuster. The story follows the Night watch, a team of supernaturally powered individuals who act on behalf of the forces of light keeping guard over the dark ones. This much I know as the rest of the story is anyone’s guess .

This is a film which will leave many scratching their heads in a WTF ???? kind of way as we do not fully understand what is a happening story wise. But thankfully the visuals more than make up for this shortcoming as they are to put it simply fucking immense. The action sequences, transitions, location shooting make this probably one of the most satisfying visual experiences since the Matrix. The film also makes use of its location to the fullest using the decaying suburbs of Moscow that we never see on the news as a great backdrop to a battle between the forces of light and dark. Maybe the confusing plot is indicative of Russian Cinema in general as this will take many repeat viewing s to start getting to grips with the complex story.

But overall given the unimaginative output of Hollywood these days this is like an Antarctic Hurricane in your face to wake up from the apathy that may have set in as result. So go and see this movie somehow it will re awaken you to how enthralling movies can be.

Zulu Rating – 8 Breathtaking visuals a wake up call to Hollywood and proof that subtitled movies are not just for film school students trying to be ‘indie’.